Doefelina Juniper: Emerald Eyes
by SunskulltheOutcast
Summary: Munkustrap rescues a kitten on patrol and takes it back to the junkyard to decide what to do with it.
1. Chapter 1

**Doefelina Juniper: ****E****merald Eyes**

Chapter One:

As always Munkustrap patrolled the borders of the junkyard he was protector of for any unusual activity or possible threats that he should be aware of.

It was two o'clock in the morning and his black and white stripes blended perfectly with his surroundings. The tomcat bounced along the littered ground in the silver moonlight and crept through tiny crevices in the abandoned buildings. Munkustrap leaped from one junk pile to the next with wonderful balance until he reached the human road. It was loud and smoky as always.

Munkustrap crumpled his nose in disgust; how he hated the smell of car fumes and old tarmac. However, he knew it had to be done as who knows what Macavity could be doing nearby. These regular patrols kept the criminal in check. Munkustrap looked around briefly on the pavement and across the road when he was just about to jump back over the stone wall away from the road towards home where Demeter, his mate, was waiting for him in there den, before he thought he heard a little mew behind him.

The tom quickly whipped back around to face the road again and scanned it to see where the sound came from. He looked and looked and was starting to panic as he couldn't see where he had heard the pitiful call from. What worried him was that it sounded to be from a young kitten; and with a call like that it was obviously terrified and all alone. That was a call for help and Munkustrap knew it.

After what seemed like an eternity standing there looking over the street he saw about a hundred yards away from him a tiny abandoned kit in the middle of the road!

It was so small he could hardly see it at first. Munkustrap looked down at the road where the kitten was and saw a car screeching towards it, skidding and swerving all over the road.

That kitten was about to die.

Without a second thought the brave tomcat ran across the road and scooped the defenseless creature up in his paws and didn't stop running until he reached the other side of the road. With the tiny kitten safe, pressed against his chest. Munkustrap looked down at it and his stomach flopped inside him to see what an awful state it was in.

Firstly, it couldn't have been more than a few days old, seeing as how absolutely minuscule it was. The shaking body could easily fit into a single one of Munkustrap's hands. Observing this he saw how filthy the kit was. Munkustrap frowned to himself as he thought about how neglected the kitten was. The fur was so matted and covered in mud and dirt that you couldn't even see what its color or breed was. Looking even closer at it he saw that it was bleeding from two wounds in its side, but not too deep, thank goodness.

Munkustrap checked that no other cars were coming and he dashed across the road back the way he came, hurrying to get home and get the kit warm, as it was probably freezing. A kitten this young wouldn't be able to survive in the open for long.

Demeter was busy grooming herself in the den she shared with her mate. Her beautiful golden fur was silky soft, just how she liked to keep it, even though it was a lot of work. She hummed quietly to herself, thinking fondly of the Jellicle Ball that was a few months ago, being so glad to be mated to Munkustrap, who she loved very much. But as she remembered back to when she was with Macavity, she hissed. He treated her so badly and the young queen was so glad to be free of him. Running away was one of the best decisions of her life, second only to choosing Munkustrap as her mate, sometime after. Demeter knew Munkustrap would keep her safe from him.

Just as she was finishing cleaning behind her ears ready to settle down to sleep she remembered that Munkustrap should have been back home by then. In fact, he was fifteen minutes late. He said he would only be an hour and Munkustrap was never late. But she knew he was a thorough cat and didn't like to overlook things. She stopped worrying by thinking he had probably been caught up by some street cat asking for directions or something and had to come back home the long way. Demeter yawned and stretched out her long legs, and settled down to sleep in her warm, cozy nest, glad to be out of the cold.

Munkustrap sprinted across the junkyard to his den, desperate to get the kitten out of the cold. It was probably starving! That would explain how skinny and weak it was. He jumped up upon the broken down car bonnet and further onto the pile of discarded CDs which led into his den.

Munkustrap burst inside and desperately called for his mate.

"Demeter! DEMETER! COME QUICKLY!"

Demeter was just nodding off when she jumped back up in shock and rushed over to the den entrance to see her mate and a tiny kitten he was clutching.

"Munkustrap!" she shrieked, "why on earth do you have a kitten?" Munkustrap dashed up to her and handed it to her, knowing that she was much warmer than him as she had been inside the whole time. Demeter was bewildered at this. One moment she saw her frantic mate charging into the den, now she had a tiny kitten in her arms.

"Come, we need to take it deeper into the den where it's warmer, the poor scrap is freezing." Munkustrap told her, ushering her backwards. "I found it in the middle of the human road while I was patrolling and it was about to get run over by one of those huge machines. I'm so glad it mewed because it would never have seen her, she was so tiny. And the muck in her fur blended perfectly with the road." Demeter was horrified at hearing this. "How could someone do something so cruel as to abandon a tiny defenseless kitten, barely a week old?"

"I don't know, Demeter, but she needs food now, she's starving. Is Bomba still nursing little Jemmima? She would be the only queen with a kitten young enough to be suckling right now, so she would have milk."

"Yes, I believe, so," Demeter replied, "you go get her and I will stay here and keep her warm. Go quickly now, my love"

Munkustrap sprinted like a wild thing across the Junkyard to where Bombalurina's den was. He was so terrified for the tiny kitten's life and his heart raged with fury at the injustice of it; how anyone- human or cat- could leave a defenseless kitten in the cold in the middle of Autumn.

_Macavity, it must be that wicked Macavity, _Munkustrap thought, _I cannot think of anyone or anything else that would do such a thing._


	2. Chapter 2

**Doefelina Juniper: ****Emerald Eyes**

Chapter Two:

The admirable silver tom and his brother, Rum Tum Tugger knew of their older brother, Macavity, and what he had become and done as a result.

When he became of age he ran away from the tribe and began a life of crime. Unfortunately this was not surprising to any of them as Macavity has always been a rebel and quite nasty to the other kittens when was growing up. He took delight in tormenting the queens and bullying any cat smaller than himself. However, it must not be blamed on his parents how he turned out because after all, it has to be admitted that he was raised in a kind clowder with two little brothers and his father.

But this was not good enough for Macavity, he wanted to be completely free of the tribe, without any hinderances from the older cats about anything. Always hating the rules and resenting anyone older than him who ever told him what to do, he snuck out in the dead of night, right in the middle of the Jellicle Ball and kidnapped Casper, a very young kitten at the time and murdered her in cold blood.

Her cold and torn body was found in an abandoned car the following morning by one of the Jellicle elders.

Deuteronomy, Macavity's own father, disowned him and officially stripped him of his privilege of the title of Jellicle.

On and on Munkustrap ran, leaping over piles of rubbish as he went, the anger fueling his already tired body to go faster.

What if the kitten was to die before he got back?

No, he just couldn't possibly let that happen. _She will live, _he thought,_ she will._

After what seemed a lifetime of adrenaline pumping through his veins, Munkustrap reached Bombalurina's den and burst in, just as he had done in his own. Without even taking a moment to catch his breath the tom blurted out a command at Bombalurina to go to his and Demeter's den at once and to run as fast as she could.

Without a single word of question or protest she went to do as she was told, leaving Munkustrap in her den to catch his breath.

On the way there Bombalurina racked her brains to think of what possibly could be wrong. When the thought of Demeter, her only sister, being hurt she ran even faster if at all possible, the icy Autumn wind stinging her elegant feline face.

Demeter sat in her nest at the very back of the den, desperately trying to keep the baby she was holding alive. She could hear her little heartbeat within her chest, and how very faint it was; she was so weak.

A single tear rolled down the beautiful queen's face at the thought that the kitten might not make it through the night, just as Munkustrap had thought the same, not two minutes earlier.

Just as she was thinking this her sister entered cautiously, her four paws padding softly on the ground. Demeter looked up at her to see a face of relief coming towards her.

"Oh Bomba, please help me!" Demeter squeaked through tears, "Munkustrap found this poor kitten in the middle of the human road and she is dying! Please, sister, you are the only queen still nursing a kitten and she is probably no more than a week old and needs food, desperately!"

"Demeter, slow down, I thought you were hurt! Thank the Everlasting that you're safe, I was so worried!"

"Yes Bomba, I'm fine but the kitten! Feed her please!" Demeter scolded her sister.

"Oh, um, ok." Bombalurina was quite taken aback by the situation. She would need to give her own milk to a random street kitten. But, despite her reluctance she swallowed her feeling and agreed. "Give her to me then." As she said this a thought occurred to her: " But, well… won't the mother come looking for her?"

"No, she was quite clearly abandoned. She's bleeding as well, can't you see?" Demeter gently handed over the floppy body she had had wrapped in her arms over to Bombalurina, so very gently as not to hurt her as she spoke.

"Perhaps the father took her away from the mother while she was sleeping and left her to die, unhappy with the size of it, wanting a less tiny, and more strong kitten. It has been known to happen, after all." Bombalurina turned away from Demeter at this comment and allowed the kitten to latch onto her. She was starving and was so eager to eat that she nearly choked on the flowing milk.

"Yes… yes, I know, very well that that happens." Bombalurina replied, almost too quiet to hear. "Macavity did that to a kitten that he forced me to have while he was keeping me prisoner. He killed it just because he was too small."

Macavity had tortured Bombalurina after he abducted her two years ago and took her to his lair, demanding a son from her that he could raise himself, only to kill the one she produced for him. He had kept her in a cage, only letting her out when he wanted her or to examine the kitten.

When Bombalurina was asleep with the kit at her side in the cage Macavity took it and drowned it, leaving his hostage to find that her kitten was gone when she woke up.

When he finally let her go after being unable to get her pregnant again she had to find her own way back to the Jellicle tribe from being dumped outside.

It took her a whole year to recover from the trauma of being held prisoner by Macavity and a kitten taken from her so abruptly.

Demeter expressed her apology at being insensitive by rubbing her head against her sister's shoulder. Bombalurina reciprocated, showing that she was forgiven.

"It is Macavity that has done this. I'm sure of it. And it looks like this kitten is too small for his liking to be his heir, just like mine was." Bombalurina looked at the baby, tears welling up in her own eyes now. "But I do have Jemmima now."

"Yes, sister, you have a lovely, healthy daughter now. I know you will always be sad about the kitten you were forced to have and was taken from you, but remember that no-one will ever take Jemmima from you, ever. She is yours forever." Demeter spoke these words quietly and kindly in Bombalurina's ear.

At that moment Munkustrap came into the den that the two queens were already in with the kitten.

Demeter saw him and went over to her mate but not before giving Bombalurina an reassuring lick on the ear, as she was still crying.

Munkustrap was panting. He had run all the way back, however, not as urgently as he had run to Bombalurina's den in the first place. He nuzzled his mate's head and groomed her neck briefly, before asking: "How is it? Is it feeding?"

Demeter whispered back so as not to disturb the two in the corner. "Yes! She was absolutely starving. I'm so glad she was able to nurse. I was worried she wouldn't"

The pair of them glanced in Bomba's direction but Munkustrap quickly turned away, respectfully for a queen feeding a kitten.


	3. Chapter 3

**Doefelina Juniper: ****Emerald Eyes**

Chapter Three:

All four cats sat quietly in the little den, listening to the whistle of the wind outside and the chirruping of birds in the distance. The only sound coming from within the den itself was the soft purrs of both the tiny kitten and Bombalurina in unison. She was growing to become quite attached and affectionate towards it. Munkustrap and Demeter groomed each other slowly and lovingly, cherishing the peace of the night. A sliver of light from the waxing moon made its way into the den, illuminating the den's entrance, fading out to utter blackness. But Jellicle Cats of course, have moonlit eyes and can see perfectly well in what humans would be blind.

Roughly fifteen minutes had passed before Bombalurina mewled gently to announce that the kitten had finished feeding and gone to sleep. She slid over to where to other two cats were cuddled and showed them the little bundle of fur in her paws.

"Oh, isn't she absolutely beautiful?" Bombalurina cooed.

"Indeed, especially her eyes." Munkustrap stated, "they are so beautifully green." Bombalurina had started to clean the kitten as she fed, licking off the filth embedded into her fur; it was course and highly unpleasant to touch before. However, now that she was clean and all the dirt and grime removed, the cats could see clearly that she was a striped grey cat with spectacular green eyes. The gravel from the human road had gotten stuck in her fur on her eyelid which hindered her eyes from opening properly, hence hiding their true colour. Her tail was tipped with white and she had one white sock on her hind left foot.

The fluffy grey kitten looked at all three adult cats before her with interest, her eyes practically glowing in the dark of the den, and the two queens and one tomcat just looked back at her with fascination.

The kitten yawned and looked away, now surveying her surroundings. She kicked one leg and flexed her little paw, extending each claw in turn. After she was satisfied with her observations she gave a little sneeze and snuggled deeper in Bombalurina's chest. She nuzzled into her fur and faintly squeaked with contentment in being in the warm safety of a den.

"It's good she has settled down, she was crying the whole time until you got here, Bombalurina." As Demeter spoke these words Munkustrap was quite excited, like he had realized something wonderful, or a great burden had been lifted from him.

In actual fact, both had. Being Jellicle Protector meant he was in charge of the safety of the tribe. He was particularly the protector of the kittens, and so when something went wrong, or if one was sick Munkustrap would try move heaven and earth to make sure that that kit received the best care it possibly could, and became well. He was so terrified for the abandoned kitten's life that he had almost drove himself hysterical with terror. That was one of the most frightening experiences of his life. Now, Munkustrap was a very level-headed tom and it took a lot to make him lose his cool. This was one of those rare occasions.

"What's up, Munku?" Bombalurina inquired, "you've got tears in your eyes but you don't look sad. Are you ok?"

"Oh, yes, of course…" Munkustrap stuttered, "I am just so glad that that kitten is ok. I was so terrified that she was going to die!"

Demeter looked loving up at her mate, admiring his never-ending compassion and selflessness. "Sweetheart, she is going to be alright, thanks to you both. She is safe and warm now, and has a tribe to support her and kittens to grow up with." Demeter looked kindly at her mate and her sister, so glad to have them both in her life. How lucky she was!

She continued, "well, now we know that she is alright, what needs to be done now is she needs to be given a name. A good respectable Jellicle name And most importantly, we need to find someone who would be willing to adopt her, as their daughter and raise her as their own. She needs a second chance, bless her."

"Oh, Everlasting," Bombalurina exclaimed, meanwhile being incredibly careful not to wake the baby curled against her body. "I would love to! I mean, I am, after all, the only nursing queen in the tribe. No-one else can really look after her anyway. She hasn't been weened yet. I thought it was rather obvious that I would keep her!" Bombalurina looked desperately at the other two, then down at the sleeping kitten, then back up at them again. There was desperation in her voice and a lump rising in her throat at the thought of the slight possibility that the kitten she had just looked after wouldn't be hers. Bombalurina loved the kitten so much even though the time she had spent with her so far was so short.

Bombalurina caressed the warm ball of fuzz lovingly. She had already bonded with the kitten and loved her. She wanted to raise her as an adopted kitten alongside her own daughter, Jemmima. They could grow up as sisters despite the biological difference, and she would love them just the same.

Demeter grinned at her enthusiasm, as she had thought that Bombalurina wouldn't want to have anything more to do with the abandoned street kit.

"This is wonderful, Bomba! Of course you can keep her!" Munkustrap beamed and bowed his head to the new mother of the kit, followed by Demeter, bowing (the Jellicle way of displaying of utmost respect or gratitude).

"And I was thinking, as I was feeding her of what her names could be." Bombalurina said after taking in that she was going to be the mother of the kitten she cared so deeply for.

"Oh, yes, and…? What did you have in mind?" Demeter asked, eagerly, edging forward in anticipation.

"I thought as a first name that 'Doefelina' would be nice. It's a good Jellicle name. Pretty, but not too flashy."

"Lovely," Munkustrap commented, "that's a beautiful name for a queen." Bombalurina blushed at this. It was not a light matter to name a kitten. For cats the name is what represents the individual; it's what other cats judge when they first meet them. It has happened that a queen has poorly named her kitten and have been scorned at, as well as their kitten for a too short or bad-sounding name. Cats could be occasionally very indecisive about the name of their kit and spend a good long time designing it and thinking a lot about it to try and make one that would ring well with their second name, which was another matter entirely.

The three adults nodded to each other in agreement and appreciation at the new name.

"I, as the mother of Doefelina would like you, Munkustrap to choose the second name of my kitten." Bombalurina announced, grandly, with quite suddenness. At this Demeter gasped with joy, congratulating her mate of such an honor. But the Jellicle protector just froze, staring into the open. He had never been given the privilege of naming another queen's kitten! What would be a good name?

He thought of the name he had wanted his own daughter to be called if he ever had one. However, he thought instead of saving that regal name for his own, that the kitten that Bomba was holding suited it perfectly. Munkustrap imagined calling this name out in the junkyard to be followed by a grey striped kitten with green eyes bounding towards him.

"Munkustrap, hello?" Demeter waved a paw in front of his face. "Munk, are you alright? Speak!" He still didn't move and so Demeter resorted to lightly nipping him on the ear.

"Oh!" He quickly came back to reality from being lost in his thoughts. "Uh, sorry,… Bomba… I thought that maybe 'Juniper' might be a nice second name for her." Munkustrap mumbled, still not quite able to comprehend the honor bestowed upon him and the pressure of coming up with a decent name. He was terrified that she wouldn't like the name and would immediately reject it. Everlasting, this name would be with the kit forever! "But I completely understand if you don't like it," he finally blurted, his fear taking him over.

"That's a brilliant suggestion, Munkustrap! Doefelina Juniper it is, then!" Bomba proclaimed, as loudly as she could without waking up the kitten. (She stirred slightly in her sleep but quickly settled back down into Bombalurina's warm fur) "Munkustrap, that's such a nice name! Oh, well done, that's lovely," Bombalurina repeated.

Demeter agreed and they all rubbed their heads against each other, purring with happiness at the new name of the newest member of the Jellicle tribe, all the while Doefelina sleeping soundly in her mother's arms, purring softly.


End file.
